Khaberni - Dr. Anastasia Agaeva points out that many believe that yawning results from a lack of oxygen in the body. So, how true is this belief, and what causes yawning to be "contagious" among people?
The doctor says: "Currently, there are several hypotheses about the causes of yawning. According to one of these hypotheses, yawning helps to regulate the brain's temperature. If the brain's temperature rises, for example due to fatigue, yawning increases blood flow to it and ensures the inhalation of air, which allows it to cool down and regulate heat exchange."
Another hypothesis suggests a change in the level of consciousness. Yawning often occurs during the transition from sleep to wakefulness or vice versa. Deep breathing during yawning causes the air sacs—which are microscopic structures in the lungs—to expand, increasing blood flow and stimulating the heart rate for a short period, which helps the body to become alert and active or relax depending on the state.
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Not a sign of boredom.. Scientists reveal the real reason for yawning
Not a sign of boredom.. Scientists reveal the real reason for yawning
A third hypothesis says that yawning helps to open the Eustachian tube, responsible for equalizing pressure in the middle ear, like what happens during flying when the pressure increases behind the eardrum, thus normalizing it through yawning.
She adds: "There is a common belief that yawning results from a lack of oxygen or an increase in carbon dioxide in the body, but studies have refuted this theory, as the levels of these gases in the blood do not affect yawning."
As for what is called "yawn contagion," this phenomenon is a form of involuntary mimetic movement. This effect is due to psychological factors, in addition to the activity of the mirror neurons in the brain.
The ability to "catch" yawning is closely related to empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The emotional connection with another person, the higher the likelihood of "catching" yawning. The yawning process itself occurs thanks to the mirror neurons, which are activated when observing someone else's action.
Dr. Agaeva concludes by saying: "These cells reflect the action in the human brain, which stimulates the desire to yawn in response. It is noteworthy that children under the ages of four or five are rarely susceptible to yawn contagion, because areas of the brain responsible for empathy are not yet fully developed."
